Coastal Brew Day Blog

BLACK IPA The Black IPA is highly unusual beer. For starters, the name itself is oxymoronical. The "P" in IPA stands for Pale, so having something that is simultaneously black and pale can be confusing. It is, in fact, the best of both worlds. This esoteric brew combines the hoppy dryness of typical IPAs and the roasty characteristics of dark ales and lagers. Its color is, of course, black, and thus the style of beer. The Black IPA is a very new style, created by a brewpub in Burlington, Vermont in the early 1990s. Since then it has seen a growth in popularity among the craft beer circuit through the 2000s and with homebrewers up until today. Its presence has waned in recent years as small brewers have pivoted to the hazy New England IPAs that have dominated the craft scene for the last five years or so.  Even though the Black IPA is among the youngest styles of beer, its roots can be seen back in the 19th century. In a beer book published in 1888 called The Theory and Practi...

Red Ale   If there were ever a beer that a person would assume a long and storied brewing history, it would be the Irish Red Ale. That assumption would be incorrect. While it's true that Red Ales have been brewed for generations in Ireland, its history is essentially that of the English pub beer. The Red is, and has always been, an easy to drink beer that is a staple of pubs throughout the years.  The Red Ale is immensely popular in the craft beer world, as smaller batch brewers have taken the more popular Reds, such as Smithwick's and Killian's, and added their own twists to them. As the beer itself is relatively boring, it takes well to adjuncts like hot peppers and rye. Red Ales are also used by small brewers as an introduction into the craft beer universe. Its easy-to-drink nature and moderate alcohol level make it a perfect beer to pair with food or casually sip during the course of an evening.  The red color of the beer is a result of specialty malts. Roasted barley...

Sad Christmas Porter   Generally speaking, holiday ales all have certain similar characteristics. Spiced, hearty, and aromatic, these beers are often called Winter Warmers. Winter Warmers or Holiday Ales generally aren't considered a traditional beer style, however their roots go back centuries. Many Winter offerings can trace their lineage back to the English or Belgian Strong Ales and Wassail of bygone eras.  Wassail is both a drink and a celebration. Warm cider or mead is flavored with a combination of citrus peels, apples, and mulling spices to create what we today would call a mulled cider. Wassailing traditions are a Norse creation, and Vikings brought the Winter events to what is now England during their era of conquer. Many times the brew was communal with people drinking out of special Wassail bowls together in the town taverns. In England, the Yarlington Wassail has been held since the 17th century, and it is quite the event. According to Wikipedia: " The   Yarl...

BOURBON BARREL BELGIAN STOUT  The Belgian Stout is not a traditional Belgian beer. It is not recognized as an official style in the Beer Judge Certification Program guidelines, rather they consider it a Dark Ale and not a stout. Belgian beers don't normally come in Stout, but American beers certainly do. The Belgian Stout, therefore, is a hybrid of the classic American Stout and an Abbey Ale, the traditional Belgian beer.  Allagash Black was the beer that really turned the beer drinking culture onto the potential of what would become the Belgian Stout. Part dark Belgian Ale, part Stout, Black twisted the styles together to create a complex, smooth, roasty beer that has become a boutique beverage of high quality and demand.  Because the Belgian Stout is a very new style of beer (and not really Belgian at all), it's history is still being written. Many times, beers in this vein are barrel aged, a practice that has been used for nearly 800 years. Archeological evidence shows...

HELLES LAGER The German Helles (pronounced Hell-es) lager is probably one of the youngest beer styles to come out of an ancient brewing tradition. Developed in Bavaria in the 19th century, the Helles Lager was a direct response by German brewers to the popularity of Pilsners, a creation of the Czech people. Equally light and easy drinking as it's neighbor, the Helles Lager copied the Pilsner profile and gave it a decidedly German flavor.  As bottled beer became popular in Germany, especially in the area surrounding Munich, the German drinkers found the crisper Pilsner a quality alternative to the traditional heavier beers that had been brewed in that region for centuries. Brewers were losing market share to the preferences of their consumers, and as any business worth its malt would do, they pivoted. Helles was born to directly compete with Pilsners for regional superiority, and the local brewers were able to regain their light beer credibility with this new concoction. Spaten was ...